Beyond the Document - Public Engagement · Beyond the Document ... Town of Tilting Economic Development Plan 2006, Twillingate ... represents the findings from Phase 2 of the project,

Beyond the Document

Economic and Socio-economic Planning Processes

March 25, 2010

Prepared for: Gander-New-Wes-Valley Community-based

Research Project Steering Committee

Prepared by: Jennifer Daniels, Jessica Peckham, Kelly Vodden and Brian Woodford

Beyond the Document ii

Contact Information

For further information regarding this report, please contact Dr. Kelly Vodden, Department

of Geography, Memorial University at [email protected] or (709) 737-8981.

Cover photos: Barbour House, Newtown; Change Islands Tickle

Beyond the Document iii

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Gander-New-Wes-Valley Community-based Research Project

Steering Committee, which includes: Tanya Noble, Dave Vardy, Kelly Vodden, Jill Bennett,

Steve Moss, Denise Wilkins, Nadine Decker and Sheila Boutcher for their participation

throughout this project. The Steering Committee was essential in supporting the research

presented in this report. Additional thanks to Ms. Noble, Ms. Boutcher and Robert Keenan

for attending the Geography 3350 class presentations in November 2009; your feedback was

very useful.

The Rural Secretariat was crucial in the organization and facilitation of this project. Thank

you to Ken Carter and Ms. Noble, who helped us understand the scope of this project and the

importance of community-based planning research in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you also to the Rural Secretariat and to INTRD‟s Community Capacity Building

Program, administered through KEDC, for providing the financial support to make the

project possible.

We are incredibly thankful to the community representatives, government personnel and non-

government volunteer organizations from: Fogo Island-Change Islands, Gander Bay,

Lewisporte, New-Wes-Valley, Tilting and Twillingate and New World Islands. We have

tried to be as inclusive as possible in conducting this research, and this would not have been

possible without the participation of community members in the October 2009 Gander

workshop session and through phone and email correspondence throughout the entire

process.

Thank you also to our classmates in Geography 3350 in the fall semester of 2009. This report

has incorporated much of their work, both from their written reports and the interviews that

they conducted. We would also like to acknowledge Ryan Gibson, PhD Candidate, for his

assistance in reviewing and formatting this report.

Finally, we, the student authors, are especially grateful for the guidance provided by Dr.

Kelly Vodden (co-author of this report). This project has been enlightening for all the

students involved and we would not have had the opportunity to conduct this research if it

were not for Dr. Vodden‟s enthusiasm for community-based, regional development research

in her class.

Beyond the Document iv

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................... vi

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 1

BACKGROUND ON THE PLANNING PROCESS ............................................................................................... 3

PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

INITIATORS ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3

COMMUNITY VS. REGIONAL PLANNING ............................................................................................................................... 4

PLANNING RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BUY-IN ............................................................................................................................ 7

ELEMENTS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS .............................................................................................................................. 8

Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Vision .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Goals ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Initiatives Identified ............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Initiative Prioritization ....................................................................................................................................................... 11

Implementation Plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 12

Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................... 12

STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................................................... 13

ANALYSIS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS ...................................................................................................... 17

SUCCESSES TO DATE ............................................................................................................................................................. 17

BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION ....................................................................................................... 18

BEST PRACTICES AND SUCCESS FACTORS ......................................................................................................................... 20

RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 24

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMUNITIES AND REGIONS ................................................................................................ 24

Generate Interest and Involvement ............................................................................................................................... 24

Focus, Persistence and Adaptability ............................................................................................................................. 24

Monitor, Evaluate, Celebrate and Report on Progress ......................................................................................... 25

Seek Self-Reliance in the Planning and Implementation Process ................................................................... 25

Foster Community and Regional Pride ........................................................................................................................ 25

Enhance Regional and Inter-Municipal Cooperation ........................................................................................... 26

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS ....................................................................... 27

Provide Support to Communities Demonstrating Commitment to Implementation ............................. 27

Facilitate Improved Communication between Communities & Senior Governments ............................ 27

Assign an Agency Responsibility for Support of Local Level Planning ......................................................... 27

Foster and Support Diversity and Inclusiveness...................................................................................................... 28

Provide Financial Support for Implementation ...................................................................................................... 28

Increase Funding Support for Leadership Training .............................................................................................. 29

Seek Opportunities for Leadership at All Levels ...................................................................................................... 29

Beyond the Document v

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS ....................................................................................................................... 30

Build Action Planning into Planning Documents ................................................................................................... 30

Conduct Human Resources Assessment Early in the Planning Process ....................................................... 30

Recognize Local Residents’ Knowledge and Expertise ......................................................................................... 30

CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................................... 32

APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX A: REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY ACTORS ....................................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX B: IMPLEMENTATION TABLES ......................................................................................................................... 35

Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-Economic Plan ................................................................................................ 35

Gander Bay Labour Market Study ................................................................................................................................. 39

Lewisporte Port Plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 40

Labour Market Study: Town of New-Wes-Valley.................................................................................................... 41

Tilting Economic Development Plan ............................................................................................................................ 42

TITA Master Plan ................................................................................................................................................................... 44

Twillingate-New World Island Strategic Plan ......................................................................................................... 46

WORKS CITED ....................................................................................................................................................... 50

Beyond the Document vi

List of Abbreviations

ACOA - Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency

EDC - Economic Development Consultant

EDO - Economic Development Officer

FIDA – Fogo Island Development Association

IBP - Ireland Business Partnership

ICSP – Integrated Community Sustainability Plan

INP - Ireland Newfoundland Partnership

INTRD - Innovation, Trade and Rural Development

JCP - Job Creation Partnership

KEDC - Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation

LSD - Local Service District

RDA - Rural Development Association

REBD - Regional Economic Development Board

SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis

TITA – Twillingate Islands Tourism Association

TNWI – Twillingate-New World Islands

See Appendix A for a brief description of these individuals, organizations and programs.

Beyond the Document 1

Introduction

Since 1996, economic planning in Newfoundland and Labrador has largely been carried out

by regional economic development boards (REDBs), which operate on a regional scale.

REDBs have developed strategic economic plans, which are intended to develop more

prosperous regional economies, across the province. The Rural Secretariat is a department of

the provincial government that has taken a more holistic approach to planning, incorporating

economic, social, cultural and environmental considerations of development. They are

engaged in regional and sub-regional planning, through visioning processes, collaborative

partnerships, citizen engagement strategies, and community-based research. Economic and

socio-economic planning on the more localized (community) level has been far more

sporadic than at the larger REDB and Rural Secretariat scale. In a 2008 self-assessment

conducted by 250 municipalities across the province only 36 municipalities (14%) indicated

that they had an economic development plan in place and only eight communities had a

comprehensive community sustainability plan.1

Over the span of the past three to four years several planning local socio-economic processes

have been initiated within the Gander–New-Wes-Valley Rural Secretariat region (Figure 1),

also known as the Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation economic zone.

Figure 1. Gander-New-Wes-Valley Region, Insular Newfoundland2

Local planning processes have been initiated mainly by the communities themselves -

whether single municipalities, local industry associations or groups of neighbouring

communities. For the purposes of this project plans created for a cluster of interconnected

communities are referred to as multi-community or regional plans (sub-regions of the larger

1 Stephen Quinton and Ryan Lane. Municipal Sustainability Self-Assessment Project Final Report (St. John‟s

NL: Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador 2009) 2 Rural Secretariat, Government of Newfoundland Labrador. Gander – New-Wes-Valley Regional Council

Vision Development, 4. http://www.exec.gov.nl.ca/rural/publications/Vision-GanderNWVFeb15_2008.pdf


Gander–New-Wes-Valley region). The varying approaches taken to planning throughout the

region, challenges faced and successes achieved are discussed in the report to follow.

This report is based on the research conducted by Memorial University students in the 2009

fall semester of the Community and Regional Planning and Development course in the

Department of Geography. The project represented the first of a two phased, collaborative,

community-based research project initiated by the Gander–New-Wes-Valley Rural

Secretariat Regional Council. The project has been led by a steering committee of

government and non-government representatives from the region working with community

and university partners.

This community-based research process has three key objectives:

1) To identify critical success factors and barriers for small communities in moving from

planning to plan implementation, including consideration of the unique requirements

and challenges in multi-community planning processes;

2) To recommend steps that can be taken by local and government actors to maximize

benefits and minimize challenges associated with these processes; and

3) To share lessons on effective community and multi-community socio-economic

planning processes regionally and provincially.

Seven local planning processes in the region were identified by the project steering

committee for inclusion in the research project. They included: Fogo Island–Change Islands

Socio-Economic Strategic Plan 2008, Gander Bay Labour Market Partnership Report 2008,

New-Wes-Valley Labour Market Study 2007/08, Town of Lewisporte Strategic Development

and Action Plan 2007, Town of Tilting Economic Development Plan 2006, Twillingate

Islands Tourism Association (TITA) Master Plan 2003 and Twillingate-New World Island

Strategic Plan 2008.

Interviews with various participants involved in the planning process were conducted by

telephone and in focus group sessions held as part of a workshop held in Gander in October

2009. The findings and analysis in this report have been derived from the information

provided by individuals interviewed, presentations made by community representatives at the

Gander workshop, the planning document and web site review, consultations with the project

steering committee and community and regional planning literature.

During Phase I of the research project, students prepared case study reviews of the seven

planning processes presented in individual written reports. These reports were circulated to

the lead organizations involved in each planning process in January 2010. This report

represents the findings from Phase 2 of the project, providing a comparison of the planning

approaches used each of the seven case study processes. This involves the description of the

different elements of planning process adapted, the resources used and varying degrees of

implementation that have occurred. A cross-case analysis of the relative successes,

challenges and best practices in each area will provide readers with a greater sense of the

„requirements‟ for success, although it should be noted that there are varying opinions of

what constitutes success in planning for community and regional development. The report

concludes with recommendations for policy makers, planning practitioners and communities

and regions themselves.


Background on the Planning Process

Purpose

This section will deal with the purpose of the seven planning reports reviewed (including the

two labour market studies). Purpose is often used interchangeably with vision, goals,

mandate, and aims in planning literature and practice. However, it is important to distinguish

purpose from vision, as these concepts have different implications for the overall plan and

planning process.3

Here, the purpose(s) of these planning processes take into account the

overall scope and objectives of the process, including the general direction and outcomes that

those involved wished to see. Vision, on the other hand, is a more specific idea that

community members share of a desirable future, i.e. what specifically a community or region

envisions for their home in the future.4

All seven planning reports had a purpose; six of which were explicitly stated in the planning

documents and one (Twillingate-New World Island) was implied. The scope of the five

development plans was similar, mainly to support the development of economic and social

initiatives that would enhance the viability of these communities and regions, although the

Lewisporte and TITA plans were focused on developing a particular aspect of the community

economy, in particular tourism and port development. The Fogo Islands-Change Islands‟

plan explicitly stated an ecological dimension in their definition of desired development “that

is economically, socially and ecologically sustainable, affordable, realistic, and achievable”.5

The ecological dimension was not represented in the other plans and labour market studies.

The purpose of the two labour market studies was to investigate and report on the

demographics, local skill sets and overall strengths and weaknesses of the local labour

market in their respective regions. Additionally, the New-Wes-Valley labour market study

proposed to include recommendations for a future development plan and the Gander Bay

report states that the intent of the information provided was “to assist in the development of a

social and economic plan for the three local service districts”.6 Both studies, therefore, were

viewed as an information-gathering component of an ongoing planning process.

Initiators

Initiators are broken down into two categories: those organizations and individuals who

determined that planning was necessary and those who were actively involved in the initial

development of the planning process. In most of the regions the same groups were involved

in both of these processes. All of the development plans and the New-Wes-Valley labour

market report were deemed necessary by local actors and initiated locally (i.e. internal to the

3 Bruce Mitchell, Resource and Environmental Management 2

nd Edition (Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall 2002), 133.

4 Ibid.

5 D.W. Knight Associates. Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-Economic Strategic Plan (Gander, NL: Kittiwake

Economic Development Corporation 2008), 5. 6 William Hardiman. Labour Market Partnership Gander Bay Final Report. (Gander, NL: Kittiwake Economic

Development Corporation, 2008), 4.


region). In five cases, provincial (INTRD) and federal (ACOA, Service Canada)

organizations and the regional economic development board for the larger Gander-New-Wes-

Valley or Kittiwake region (KEDC) were also involved in initiation. RDAs played a major

role in plan initiation and development in those regions in which they are still active, in

particular Twillingate-New World Islands, Lewisporte and Fogo Island. In New-Wes-Valley,

the labour market study was initiated by the Town Council and a representative of Service

Canada. The Town Council has continued to work towards an integrated community

sustainability plan, which will be released in March 2010. Lewisporte and Tilting local town

councils also played a lead role. On Fogo Island, the Shorefast Foundation played a large role

in plan initiation and on Change Islands local individuals and Town Council were highly

involved. TITA‟s plan was driven by its members, consisting of local tourism-related

businesses. In Gander Bay, the labour market study was deemed necessary by Service

Canada after noting a lack of projects in the area and then initiated by KEDC. In summary, of

the seven planning processes the primary leadership role in initiating the planning process

was taken by the municipal council in three cases, an RDA in two cases (together with a

community foundation and KEDC in Fogo Island-Change Islands), by a business

organization in one case and Service Canada together with KEDC in another (Table 1).

Table 1. Initiating Organizations

Initiating Organizations Frequency

Town Council 3

Rural Development Associations 2

Industry 1

Service Canada with KEDC 1

Community vs. Regional Planning

Regions are defined here as those areas that involve multiple communities in the planning

process. Communities are smaller in scale than regions and include single municipalities,

local service districts and other small, dispersed settlements. As previously mentioned, there

are multiple scales at which planning occurs in this paper: the „large‟ region, broadly defined

as the area served by KEDC and Rural Secretariat, smaller regions, such as Fogo Island-

Change Islands, Twillingate-New World Islands and Gander Bay, and single municipalities,

including New-Wes-Valley, Lewisporte and Tilting. Each of the plans, however, contain

some degree of regional planning, thus, there is a spectrum of „multi-community‟ relations

present, including: a) regionally developed plans, b) single community plans with the

involvement of other communities, and c) community plans with limited regional

participation. Of the plans reviewed, Fogo Island-Change Islands, Gander Bay, TITA and

Twillingate-New World Islands are regional or multi-community plans, New-Wes-Valley

and Lewisporte are single community-focused processes with some involvement from

outside communities, and Tilting‟s plan is a single community plan with limited regional

participation.


Another important consideration in this study is amalgamation of small municipalities, or

communities joining to form individual municipalities. A single municipality composed of

multiple communities, e.g. New-Wes-Valley, was not considered to be a region in this study,

although it is important to note that residents continue to recognize the original, distinct

communities that make up the amalgamated municipality. Amalgamation also has practical

ramifications for planning, including more solidified and cohesive governance of small

communities within a region through a single municipal government that can undertake

projects such as the New-Wes-Valley Labour Market Study. This situation can be contrasted

with Gander Bay, where there is no single local government body to undertake planning or

oversee and monitor plan implementation for the area.

Planning Resources

Within a planning process, the resources available affect how a region plans and their ability

to implement the plan. Four key types of resources are considered: Human Resources,

Financial Resources, Technical Capacity and Mandate (Table 2). Hodge and Robinson

(2001) and Tracey (2004) point out that these four resources are very important in regional

planning. The analysis of the seven planning processes reviewed further demonstrates their

importance.

Human resources are “the people that staff and operate an organization”.7 Without these

resources, no plan would ever be created and no change would occur in the area. In rural

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), many of the human resources devote to community

development come from the volunteers that reside in the area. In the seven cases reviewed,

volunteers have been the leading force behind the planning process. None of the area

representatives specified how many volunteers were involved in the process, but they

emphasized how important it was for volunteers to be a part of the process. Volunteers were

members of various committees throughout the regions, such as the RDAs in Twillingate-

New World Islands and Fogo Island.

While volunteers provide important guidance and support additional human resources were

typically hired to be responsible for writing the plan and collecting the information needed to

complete the plan. In some cases, both the research and the writing of the plan were

completed by the same person. These roles are often fulfilled by either contracted staff or

consultants. In the cases examined three out of the seven hired private consultants to write

the plan: Fogo Island- Change Islands, Lewisporte and TITA. Three of the plans were written

by the staff that resided in the area. New-Wes-Valley hired an EDO and Tilting had hired a

Junior Development Officer. In both cases the individuals in these positions were hired by

municipal council. In Gander Bay, a coordinator was hired by KEDC to live in the area

temporarily while conducting the research and writing the labour market report. The

Twillingate-New World Island plan was written by the Strategic Planning Committee

volunteers together with RDA staff.

7 William Tracey. The Human Resources Glossary.(Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC, 2004), 322.


Table 2. Gander-New-Wes-Valley Socio-Economic Planning Resources

Region Human Resources Financial

Resources

Technical and

Organizational Capacity Mandate

Fogo Island-

Change

Islands

Volunteers,

Community Strategist (D.W

Knight Associates

ACOA (33%),

INTRD (33%), Shorefast (33%),

Total cost=

$120,000-150,000

KEDC, FIDA, Fogo Island

Regional Council, Islands Chapter of the Gander and

Area Chamber of Commerce,

ACOA, INTRD, Community Strategist

Yes - from

members (RDA)

Gander

Bay

Volunteers,

Coordinator (hired by KEDC)

Service Canada

($65,000), KEDC ($11,000 - in kind)

Coordinator, KEDC, INTRD

No

Lewisporte

Volunteers

(municipal Council, RDA, Chamber),

Consultant (Young Consulting)

INTRD, ACOA,

Town of Lewisporte

Total Cost-$80,000

(estimate)

Lewisporte Town Council,

Lewisporte and Area Chamber of Commerce, Lewisporte Area

Development Association, Town of Lewisporte Economic

Development Committee

Yes - municipal government

and from members

New-Wes-

Valley

Volunteers (Council), EDO (hired by

Council)

Service Canada ($57,000), KEDC

($11,000 - in

kind)

EDO, Town of New-Wes- Valley Yes - municipal

government

Tilting

Volunteers, Jr.

Development

Researcher (hired by Council)

IBP, ACOA,

INTRD, INP

Total Cost- $80,000

(estimate)

Jr. Development Officer, KEDC,

ACOA, INTRD, EDC, Town

Council Yes - municipal

government

TITA

Volunteers, Consultant (AMEC

Ltd.)

ACOA, INTRD Cost- $80,000

(estimate) Lighthouse plan

=$29,000

TITA, ACOA, INTRD Yes - from

members (TITA)

T-NWI Volunteers (RDA, community

members), JCP

Service Canada, RDA, LSD’s, JCP

(limited)

RDA (retired teachers), JCP staff, Strategic Planning

Committee (within RDA), KEDC

Yes – from

members (RDA)

Financial resources are the “funds received to conduct activities through taxes, borrowing,

grants, or any combination of the three”.8 As shown above, the average planning cost, with

the exception of Fogo Island- Change Islands ($120,000), was approximately $80,000. Based

on this estimate, if all of the municipalities in NL were to write a socio-economic plan

individually, the total cost would be over $20,000,000.9 In the case of Gander-New-Wes-

Valley, the financial resources came in the form of provincial and federal grants. These

resources were used by the regions to hire human resources to conduct research in the region

and then to write the plan.

8 Gerald Hodge and Ira Robinson. Planning Canadian Regions. (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2001), 120-121.

9 It is noted that many of the recently completed Integrated Community Sustainability Plans did not entail the

same amount of detailed research or level of consultation and have been completed for a significantly lower

cost (many ranging from $15-20,000 each).


Technical capacity, combined here with organizational capacity, within a region “refers not

just to the staff skills and talents in the [region], but also to the political commitment of the

[region] and the province to accomplish [their] mandate”.10

This combination of skills,

authority and legitimacy is necessary for a given area to fulfill the intended purpose in

planning.11

The people involved in the planning process who had the actual skills to complete

the planning process were usually from provincial and municipal groups involved. For

example, Jill Bennett from KEDC was involved in the Gander Bay process and was an

important resource in the initiation of the Gander Bay study who contributed necessary

technical capacity. The organizations involved (Table 2) bring organizational resources that

often include some level of technical or advisory capacity as well as local political

commitment to the process. The notion of political commitment overlaps with the fourth and

final type of resource identified - mandate.12

Mandate is defined as “the authorization the province, the federal government, or both levels

of government provide in order to conduct regional planning activities”.13

This may or may

not include legal planning authority, which may also create limitations on planning actions.

A planning mandate provides direction to regional planners so that they know what they can

and cannot plan.14

In many of the cases reviewed, the mandate to plan came not from

government but rather from community members, in particular members of organizations

such as TITA or RDAs (Fogo Island, T-NWI). If the planning mandate comes from an

organization‟s membership, then it shows that members of the community recognize that

something needs to be done in the region. Twillingate-New World Island is an excellent

example of authorization coming from membership. Challenges may arise, however, when

the organization‟s membership is not broadly representative of the community and therefore

local buy-in may be limited to a particular segment of the population. With the exception of

Gander Bay, every other region within Gander-New-Wes-Valley region had a planning

mandate from local members or because the initiators were municipalities, which have legal

planning authority under the Municipalities Act, 1999. Gander Bay created a labour market

study after being approached by KEDC, which also has recognized planning responsibilities

within the broader region. In the absence of a municipal government or an RDA, it was in

response to this outside intervention that community members got together to assess the

changes they wanted to see in their region.

Community Engagement and Buy-In

According to public participation literature, without public involvement there will be little

citizen buy in and very little will come out of the planning process.15

All of the planning

processes examined have some level of community engagement and buy-in. However, after

assessing all of the seven cases, there are two identifiable different types of involvement:

organizational involvement and general public involvement.

10

Ibid 11

Ibid 12

Ibid. 13

Ibid. 14

Ibid. 15

Ibid.


In terms of organizational involvement, Lewisporte has a great deal of support and resources

coming from the municipal government and local organizations. Some of these groups

included Lewisporte Town Council and the Lewisporte and Area Chamber of Commerce.

Similarly, the Fogo Island-Change Islands plan acknowledges 38 different organizations that

contributed to the planning process in some way.

General public involvement, however, reflects another level of community engagement,

which may involve a more diversified range of opinions and values being represented in the

planning process than organizational involvement. Multiple stakeholders within an area

certainly help to get implementation started, but it does not necessarily reflect the amount of

general public participation. If the level of public involvement was based on the proportion

of citizens or community members involved in the planning process, Gander Bay would have

one of the highest levels of public involvement among the regions. Lewisporte has relied on

municipal government, although working in partnership with groups such as the RDA and

Chamber, to make decisions and take the lead on plan implementation. Gander Bay on the

other hand, has provided opportunities to the public to become involved. They held multiple

workshops in the region to give the public the opportunity to have their opinions heard and to

be involved in the planning process. An opportunities identification session was held to give

residents the opportunity to give suggestions for and also to prioritize social and economic

opportunities.

Each planning process, therefore, did have some degree of community engagement; it just

exists on different levels. In most cases, participation is based on volunteer involvement,

particularly volunteer members of the various committees existing within each region that are

engaged in the process. As such, citizen involvement is dependent on an active and engaged

volunteer sector. These volunteers are involved in making decisions that will affect their lives

because they value the relationship between self and society.16

Some people identify

themselves with the area in which they live and realize if the region changes, so do their

lives. This leads to a desire to get involved.17

In other cases, people are disengaged with

planning and development because they are fine with the present situation. This latter

situation was described as a barrier to greater public engagement and the development of

organizations, such as an implementation steering committee in Gander Bay.

Finally, even though the public may have been involved in the process, it is the consultant or

the person responsible for writing the plan whose voice is heard most because they are

responsible for how the plan or document is framed and constructed. It must be

acknowledged that every region‟s plan is biased in some way depending on an author‟s

background/opinions. This was addressed as an issue by one representative from Fogo

Island-Change Islands.

Elements of the Planning Process

While various different approaches can be taken in completing a socio-economic plan, the

planning literature identifies a number of similar steps that should be undertaken in moving

16

Keith Smith. "Citizen Participation in Community Development." Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, n.d.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/l700.html 17

Ibid.


from plan initiation to completion, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (see for

example Curran et al., 2009, Markey et al., 2005, Hodge and Robinson 2001). For the

purposes of this report nine key steps have been identified (Table 3).

Table 3. Elements of the Planning Process

Re

gio

n

Pre

-Pla

nn

ing

Re

gio

na

l

Asse

ssm

en

t

Vis

ion

Go

als

an

d

Ob

jecti

ve

s

Init

iati

ve

s

Ide

nti

fie

d

Init

iati

ve

s

Pri

ori

tize

d

Imp

lem

en

tati

on

Pla

n*

Imp

lem

en

tati

on

Mo

nit

ori

ng

an

d

Eva

lua

tio

n

Fogo Island-

Change

Islands

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes

Gander Bay

Yes Yes No No Yes No No

To

some

degree

No

Lewisporte Yes Yes No** Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

New-Wes

Valley Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes No

Tilting Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

TITA Yes Yes No Yes To

some

degree

To some

degree

To some

degree

Yes Yes

T-NWI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

* see Table 4

** See summary description, section 1.6.2

Assessment

Assessing the assets a community or region has to build upon, and the challenges it has to

overcome, is an important element in a planning process. This environmental scan often

includes a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats or “SWOT” analysis. SWOT is an

analysis of the environment in which planning and implementation is to take place. Strengths

and weaknesses are most commonly internal to the planning area while opportunities and

threats are usually external.18

This is a critical stage of the planning process. Lack of

understanding of local circumstances limits the analysis of viable strategies and initiatives

18

David Curran Associates. Municipal Economic Crisis Response Program: A Municipal Guide for Economic

Recovery. (St. John‟s, NL: Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, 2009), 67.


and results in actions plans that are not feasible.19

All seven of the Gander-New-Wes-Valley

plans conducted a SWOT exercise with both internal and external factors being considered.

Most common among the strengths identified were cultural resources derived from the

history of each area as well as their people. The region‟s cultural and social strengths are

reflected in people‟s dedication to make a difference in their communities or regions. The

weakness that was identified most, however, was volunteer burnout and problems attracting

new volunteers to help accomplish identified goals. A lack of specific services, such as

restaurants and craft stores, was also a weakness commonly noted.

Looking ahead, the opportunities that were most commonly identified were potential for

increased tourism linked to increased amenities, and commercial business enhancement,

which was often linked to improvements in the fishery, ecotourism, technology and

infrastructure.

The most common threats identified were a decrease in residents living in a town or region,

an aging population, lack of community involvement and poor economic conditions such as a

strong Canadian dollar, making tourist services less appealing for international travellers, and

the high price of oil.

Vision

A vision is a statement that reflects community values, beliefs, aspirations, and desired

quality of life. As previously mentioned, it differs from purpose in that it identifies what is

important for the future of a community in terms of desired social, economic, cultural and

environmental conditions20

. Most of the plans did not have a vision statement as described

above. Only two of the plans included a vision statement: Fogo Island-Change Islands and

Tilting (Table 3). The Fogo Island-Change Islands vision statement aims at encouraging the

growth of their economy with creativity and cooperation through developing their fishery and

valuing culture and the natural environment, as well as becoming a global travel destination.

Tilting‟s vision statement is directed at preserving their Irish culture, cultural landscape and

traditional values while enhancing economic growth. In both areas their vision reflects a

desire to value and maintain their local values and culture while growing their economies.

Lewisporte Chamber of Commerce had developed a vision for the business community in a

session in September 2003 but this vision was not referred in the 2007 Strategic Action Plan.

Goals

Goals are a statement of the long-term desired outcomes, typically for specific sectors or

issues. They are building blocks towards creating a vision and, while they may not be

directly measurable, there should be some ability to track observable evidence of progress by

breaking larger goals into objectives. Goals set the focus for the remainder of the planning

process by providing the areas of concentration. Objectives are defined as the specific,

tangible outcomes (or targets) that will move the community or region towards its goals.

Each goal can have a number of objectives. Objectives can be measured qualitatively and

19 Markey, Sean, Greg Halseth and Don Manson. “Closing the implementation gap: a framework for

incorporating the context of place in economic development planning” Local Environment, Volume 13, Issue 4

(2008, pp. 337 – 351). 20

Ibid.


quantitatively.21

All of the community and regional planning documents reviewed identified

goals and objectives with the exception of Gander Bay (Table 3). The most common goals

listed in the plans were related to regional cooperation and tourism development, followed by

promoting heritage and job retention. The Fogo Island-Change Islands listed the specific goal

of practicing an “Islands as a Whole”22

approach, bringing the communities of Fogo Island

together, and listed tourism marketing and business promotion as their main focus, for

example. Lewisporte focused on promoting their port as a main goal, which was connected to

garnering tourist and business growth. Tilting‟s goals were to expand the tourism industry

and make improvements to its existing transportation infrastructure. New-Wes-Valley listed

goals of regional cooperation along with tourism and job retention. Twillingate-New World

Islands Development Association listed regional cooperation and accountability as important

goals, while Twillingate Islands Tourism Association‟s goals are focused on regional

cooperation, tourism development and the promotion of heritage.

Initiatives Identified

Initiatives are defined as specific projects in support of the targets set in a plan. While not all

planning documents have set targets all seven do make recommendations for specific future

actions. The initiatives identified varied in each community/regional plan (Appendix B).

Initiatives were most commonly aimed at improving economic conditions and social well

being for residents living in the planning areas. Economic development was proposed

through strategies such as increasing port infrastructure and alternative fish harvesting

methods as well as through enhancing tourists‟ experiences by restoring cultural

infrastructure and making improvements of walking trails, which were suggested in most

regions. Initiatives included a strong focus on tourism and communications; such was the

case for Tilting, Fogo Island-Change Islands, Twilligate-New World Islands and TITA.

Infrastructure development initiatives were also included, such as the lighthouse

refurbishment in the TITA plan and the dockside development which is a complete initiative

in the Lewisporte plan. Despite these similarities initiatives also differed in type and scope

(see Appendix B for a listing).

Initiative Prioritization

Without some analysis of the feasibility of proposed initiatives given local conditions and a

process of prioritization based on priorities and available resources, planning documents

often create “shopping lists” of suggestions23

, many of which cannot be implemented.

Initiative prioritization occurred in most of the community plans, while Gander Bay and

Fogo Island-Change Islands did not have their initiatives prioritized. It should be noted that

Gander Bay did have a vote of initiatives during an opportunities identification session.

During this session their top three initiatives were voted on. There was extensive analysis in

assessing opportunities in the case of Twilligate Islands Tourism Association, listing by high,

21

Ibid. 22

D.W. Knight Associates. Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-Economic Strategic Plan. (Kittiwake Economic

Development Corporation, 2008), 23. 23

Markey, Sean, Greg Halseth and Don Manson. “Closing the implementation gap: a framework for

incorporating the context of place in economic development planning” Local Environment, Volume 13, Issue 4

(2008, pp. 337 – 351).


medium and low priority. The Tilting plan prioritized the completion of their initiatives by

using a timeline approach. The Gander Bay “dot-mocracy” voting exercise was

comparatively a less complex procedure. Lewisporte had a thorough approach to prioritizing

their initiatives, which included impact assessment, success probability and a timeline

approach. Twillingate-New World Islands also had initiatives prioritized using a timeline

approach.

Implementation Plan

Three elements were considered when determining if an implementation plan had been put in

place within the case study planning processes: budget, timeline and responsibilities for

initiative implementation (Table 4). A budget for implementation was established in the

Lewisporte and Tilting community plans, but the remaining five plans did not budget costs

for plan implementation. Three of the seven community/regional plan had a timeline set for

implementing their plan (T-NWI, Tilting, and Lewisporte). While a specific timeline was not

provided, the TITA plan indicates whether initiatives are high, medium or low priority. The

remaining plans (Fogo Island-Change Islands, Gander Bay and New-Wes-Valley) had no

timeline for implementation set. Responsibilities refer to who is going to implement the plan.

Of the seven plans, only T-NWI and Lewisporte identified parties responsible for plan

implementation in their respective plan documents.

Table 4. Presence of Implementation Plans

Community/Region Implementation Plan

Budget Timelines Responsibilities

Fogo-Change Islands No No No

Gander Bay No No No

Lewisporte Yes Yes Yes

New-Wes Valley No No No

Tilting Yes Yes No

TITA

No To some

degree

To some degree

(TITA implicit, some municipal)

T-NWI No Yes Yes

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation provides important opportunities for learning, adaptation and

improvement throughout the planning and implementation process. A strategy for monitoring

and evaluation is recommended that addresses each step of the planning process with

benchmarks to ensure that progress can be charted.24

Gander Bay and New-Wes-Valley are

the exception with the absence of a monitoring and evaluation component of these

community reports, reflecting again the fact that they are labour market studies rather than

24

David Curran Associates. Municipal Economic Crisis Response Program: A Municipal Guide for Economic

Recovery. (St. John‟s, NL: Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, 2009), 68.


planning documents. All five plans have some elements of a monitoring and evaluation

strategy in place. Fogo Island-Change Islands, for example, have ongoing monitoring and

evaluation strategies related to each of their planning goals identified in their 2008 Strategic

Plan. Lewisporte meets monthly with town council and during this time plan monitoring and

evaluation progress is addressed. TITA meet with members of ACOA and INTRD

periodically to discuss their progress in plan implementation. The Master Plan document also

includes measurement indicators for each identified strategy.

Plan revision refers to setting a point in time to reflect and make changes to a

community/regional plan. This component of the planning process is dependent on the

monitoring and evaluation process, including both formal and informal evaluation.25

Twillingate-New World Islands Strategic Planning Committee is the only group that has

undertaken a review and revision of its 2006 plan. This revision was completed in 2008,

resulting in a new (2008) Strategic Plan document.

State of Implementation

There have been a range of implementation successes (or lack thereof) resulting from the

planning processes in the areas surveyed. Implementation is also an active and ongoing

process in many of these areas. Although initiative implementation can be measured

quantitatively (Table 5), the degree to which implementation is occurring seems to be a

matter of opinion. That is, there is a perceived state of implementation as well as quantifiable

degree of implementation. The former may not be based on complete information and is

likely to reflect attitudes towards the plan and planning process, particularly how initiatives

were prioritized and the general „representativeness‟ of the plan, i.e. the extent to which

stakeholders‟ interests have been incorporated into both the plan and its implementation.

There are also challenges associated with quantifying initiatives because they can be difficult

to objectively measure.26

It is important to acknowledge, for example, that the initiatives

identified varied in terms of their difficulty, complexity, and the amount and types of

resources that are required to implement them. For example, identification of stakeholders

and ensuring that minutes from meetings be brought to the attention of stakeholders in the

Twillingate-New World Island plan were weighted the same as the expansion of the

community water system in Tilting in Table 5 below. This analysis has not attempted to rate

the degree of complexity or impact of these various initiatives. So while it may appear that

some regions have a significantly higher percentage of initiatives that have been

implemented, these results are for illustrative purposes and must not be extrapolated as being

the sole measurements for implementation success. These issues will be discussed in greater

detail in Section 2.0.

The region with the least success to date in moving from planning to implementation is

Gander Bay. As a labour market study, the primary purpose of the Gander Bay report was not

explicitly to develop initiatives (or ways of implementing them) and, as a result, there has

been little attention paid to implementation. Likewise, implementation has been limited in

25

Ibid., 68. 26

For instance, it is difficult to measure the difference between something that is nearly done vs. midway when

comparing projects that are so varied in size and scope. It is also a challenge to compare these initiatives with

those projects that require continual efforts, and thus, are never complete.


New-Wes-Valley. Again because of the labour-market focus of the report there was limited

identification and analysis of specific initiatives, although a series of recommendations were

made that included a continuation of the planning process. Implementation of this

recommendation is underway along with initiatives in regional cooperation. There are also

projects being completed, such as increased signage, which were not specifically

recommended in the labour market study, but do address the identified need for tourism

related initiatives.

There is some disagreement between interviewees in Fogo Island-Change Islands and TITA

cases about the degree to which implementation is occurring. In Fogo Island-Change Islands,

some individuals stated that implementation has been very limited, suggesting that initiatives

have not been prioritized in an organized manner or that the process of planning for

implementation is still underway. Many of the initiatives that have been implemented have

been carried out through, or with assistance from the Shorefast Foundation, a local

organization on Fogo Island. Similarly, in the TITA case, representatives have suggested that

implementation of their highest priority project, the Long Point Lighthouse, was delayed for

a period of over five years while „less important” projects to enhance tourism, some taken on

by private sector groups, moved ahead. To date, a design plan for the lighthouse has been

completed and the renovations are expected to be completed by 2011. In both of these plans

there is some animosity over which groups and organizations should be doing the

implementation and the idea of what constitutes appropriate development is contested.

In the remaining areas: Lewisporte, Tilting and Twillingate-New World Islands, initiative

implementation has been described has fairly successful and a continual process.

Infrastructural development of the harbours, tourism development and other economic

development initiatives have been undertaken in all three areas. Research in socio-cultural

initiatives, such as health and education facilities have also been completed in Tilting and

Twillingate-New World Islands, with some similar efforts underway on Fogo Island through

a Community Health Advisory Committee.

An analysis of the extent to which implementation has occurred was conducted, based on

available data, utilizing eight categories (Table 5). These include:

1. Completed- those initiatives that have been finished according to the criteria set out

by the respective community/region

2. Early stages- initiatives that have either recently started, or those that are only at the

initial stage of development

3. Midway- in the middle point of development

4. Nearly complete- requires minimal action to be entirely complete

5. Ongoing- initiatives that are continuous in nature, so there is no theoretical endpoint

6. Postponed- initiatives that have been started followed by a period of indefinite delay

7. No evidence of implementation – no reference to implementation was made in

interviews, documentation or subsequent consultations


8. No action - projects confirmed to have no implementation, nor are these initiatives

expected to be pursued in the near future

Table 5 illustrates that the most common category is no evidence of implementation (41%),

followed by ongoing initiatives (30%) and those in their early stages (22%). After a period

ranging from 1.5 (Fogo Island-Change Islands) to 7 years (TITA), 11 (6%) of the nearly 200

identified initiatives were reported to be completed or nearly completed as of the date of this

report.

Table 5. Status of implementation

Community/Region

# of

Initiatives Identified

Status

Percentage of Identified Initiatives with Evidence of

Some Level of Initiative

Implementation

Fogo Island-Change

Islands (2008) 49

1 completed; 1 Nearly complete; 14 Early Stages;

14 Ongoing

61%*27

Gander Bay (2008) 15 3 Early Stages 20%

Lewisporte (2007) 14 5 Early Stages; 2 Ongoing 50%

New-Wes-Valley (2007/2008)

10 1 Early Stages; 3 Ongoing 40%

Tilting (2006) 37

9 Early Stages; 1 Midway;

2 Nearly complete; 8 Ongoing; 1 Postponed

57%

TITA (2003) 27

1 Completed; 1 Mid-way

with no action; 8 Early Stages; 5 Ongoing

56%

T-NWI (2008) 47 6 Completed; 1 Midway; 3

Early Stages; 27 Ongoing 79%

Total 199

8 Completed; 3 Nearly

complete; 3 Mid-way; 43

Early stages; 59 Ongoing; 1 Postponed (117

implementation underway; 1 no action; 81 no

evidence of implementation )

59%

*See Appendix B for details.

27

Tempering the apparent success of this process based on the percentage of identified initiatives being

implemented, respondents noted that several of these initiatives are being (and would have been) undertaken

regardless of the planning process. Concerns exist that some initiatives are not been taken island-wide or to the

extent envisioned and that planning process has not yet fulfilled the intended function of coordinating island-

wide initiatives.


It should be noted that some of these initiatives have been undertaken outside of the planning

process itself (i.e. by organizations other than those involved in the planning process). As a

result some of these initiatives may have been undertaken with or without the planning

process, such as new tourism services being offered by the private sector or municipally-led

harbour improvements in Twillingate. Also, as new priorities have arisen within the regions,

some projects have been accomplished that were not originally part of the plan and are

therefore not included in this analysis of community accomplishments. Finally, to reiterate,

initiatives vary in scope, cost, difficulty and potential impact and are therefore not directly

comparable.

Iceberg and oceanside garden, Fogo Island


Analysis of the Planning Process

Successes to Date

When people think about success they tend to think about tangible, often physical or

economic success factors. For instance, in the case of the Twillingate area, hiking trails have

been partially upgraded, gazebos and information kiosks have been created, and major

upgrades to the Long Point Lighthouse are set to occur in summer 2010. One outcome that is

typically sought is job creation. Temporary employment and planning skills were developed

in the Gander-New-Wes-Valley region through these planning processes; however, there

were few cases where respondents noted that long-term jobs had been created. In most cases

initiatives have been identified to support the development of industries such as tourism or

agriculture but attempts have not been made to track increases in employment that may have

been created, at least in part, as a result of these improvements. One example of job creation

is the Recreation Coordinator, and more recently Community Youth Network Coordinator

and Adult Basic Education instructor positions created within the Twillingate-New World

Islands. These positions have created jobs but also enhance services and educational and

recreational opportunities within the region.

In the seven cases reviewed, each has had some implementation success. Although Gander

Bay‟s has been the most limited, residents and organizations in Gander Bay are in the early

stages of developing a public library, childcare services and camping facilities along the

Gander River. In six of the regions, there have been upgrades to infrastructure completed.

Within New-Wes-Valley, there have been street signs distributed across the region.

Twillingate has upgraded its harbour infrastructure and Lewisporte has improved its marina.

Fogo and Change Islands have had success in completing fisheries roundtables, establishing

a small business loan fund, a farmers market and an agricultural co-operative. Although

development of the latter initiatives was underway before the plan was put in place they are

included within and supported by the islands‟ socio-economic development plan.

Based on Table 5, the two regions that have had the most implementation success appear to

be Twillingate-New World Islands, including TITA, and Fogo Island-Change Islands,

including the Town of Tilting. While Lewisporte is pursuing a smaller proportion of

identified initiatives, they have also made significant strides on major projects. Lewisporte‟s

implementation has involved the construction of docks, the addition of 38 electrical sites to

their harbourfront park and the start of the Downtown Revitalization Project. The Town of

New-Wes-Valley has taken a lead role in establishing the Bonavista North Joint Council,

recognizing the need for enhanced regional collaboration and there have been advancements

in water and sewage infrastructure, a food service co-op and artist-in-residence program

created in Tilting.

In addition to these „hard benefits‟, there have been other successes that have come out of the

overall planning process. These include the sometimes unexpected and “intangible”

outcomes of improved social capacity in the communities/regions, such as relationship

building, increased communication and problem solving abilities.28

It is fair to say that all

28

J.E. Innes and D.E. Booher. “Consensus Building and Complex Adaptive Systems: A Framework for

Evaluating Collaborative Planning,” Journal of the American Planning Association 65, no. 14 (1999): 3.


regions within Gander–New–Wes-Valley have had significant „intangible‟ successes

resulting from the planning process. All of the regions agreed that the planning process has

improved relations among the people involved and has enhanced their communities by

getting more people involved in trying to bring about changes to each region. In three of the

areas, representatives stated that this process has finally received attention from government,

which is important for garnering both human and financial resources. In cases of multi-

community planning, respondents emphasized that this process has finally brought the

communities together and enabled multi-community collaboration, forming a more cohesive

region. The planning process had more people and volunteers engaged than ever before.

People were willing to put their time into this process to hopefully see some change in their

respective regions. All of the regions had stated that community engagement has improved.

Multi-community plans have additional benefits that come from when there is more than one

community involved in a planning process. There are usually more people involved, through

committees and participation from multiple municipal governments. Multiple partners allow

for more resources to be put into the plan, including human and financial, and can help to

improve the success of implementation. The more people get involved the more that opinions

get heard and more possible initiatives get identified that people want to complete in the area.

Barriers and Challenges to Implementation

When dealing with multiple communities additional or heightened challenges are also faced.

Some respondents suggested that there were conflicts that arose within various regions (i.e.

amongst individual communities) in the process. Sometimes not everyone‟s ideas and

opinions are being heard or getting the attention that some people think that they should. This

also occurs in single community processes but is heightened when multiple communities are

involved. Community engagement in these plans is a complicated process and can lead to

real or perceived conflicts of interest. Some people or certain communities may see one

initiative as more important than another, particularly those in another community. All of the

communities within each region need to see where their interests may be similar and that the

goal of the process is to create a positive change in the region as a whole. When they realize

this, it will allow more success to occur because of the agreement that all regional initiatives

have importance. At the same time individual communities can and should pursue initiatives

that benefit their communities while supporting a broader regional vision. This will be

discussed further in section 3.1.

Three major problems were identified by planning representatives that are associated with

multi-community planning. The first involves the disagreements on priorities in varying

communities discussed above. This was cited as a particular problem in three cases. A second

problem identified was a lack of communication among communities. Finally, respondents

from two regions stated that smaller communities in these regions feel as if they are

underrepresented within the planning process. This final point is crucial to acknowledge,

because a plan‟s success is dependent on support and buy-in from all participating

communities. If members of all communities do not feel as if the plan is inclusive of their

own values, then they will be less inclined to support it. This logic can be extended to

inclusion more generally, such that if regions wish to be more resilient, they must ensure that

their leadership promotes diversity of representation among and within communities.


In some cases, responsibility and accountability was also identified as a significant issue. It is

often unclear who is responsible for ensuring that implementation occurs - people tend to

think that someone else will take on the required tasks. Clear delineation of responsibility

may be more challenging in multi-community planning but is critical in any planning

process.

External challenges related to the global economy, such as the influence of „macro‟ labour

markets, affect all the communities and regions in Gander-New-Wes-Valley region and the

entire province. In Gander-New-Wes-Valley, all the regions are in a state of demographic

decline and face youth retention issues. They all have an aging labour force and there are also

concerns with (seasonal) out-migration, which means that in many areas there is a relatively

high incidence of single parent homes. This creates additional challenges for encouraging

volunteer involvement and retention of families in the region. Additionally, this region, as is

the case for most of rural Newfoundland and Labrador, has a long history of dependence on

natural resource extraction industries. Thus, most of the areas in this region are not very

economically diverse, which makes them highly vulnerable to large-scale changes in their

environment, e.g. collapses in fish stocks, as well as global market changes in natural

resource commodities. These issues were brought up in each of the community/region‟s

SWOT analyses.

In all seven communities and regions, lack of funding and limited access to funding was

stated as a barrier to the implementation of initiatives and to the overall coordination of the

implementation stage of the planning process. Financial resources are of obvious importance;

they are crucial for the support of the human resources and technical expertise necessary to

develop plans and implementation strategies. Funding is also required to implement

initiatives. There was a range of responses regarding how detrimental this lack of funding is

to implementation. The majority of respondents in three out of the seven areas say it is the

largest and generally most significant barrier to implementation. These include: Lewisporte,

TITA and Twillingate-New World Islands. Fogo Island-Change Islands, New-Wes-Valley,

Tilting, and Gander Bay express similar concerns related to lack of financial resources, but

they are not emphasized to the same degree. Representatives suggest that the biggest

challenge with respect to funding is that it is difficult to secure financial resources to enact

initiatives, particularly economic focused initiatives such as funding for developing the port

or restoring the Long Point Lighthouse (which is currently underway).

In five of seven cases, representatives claim that there is a lack of technical expertise

necessary for effectively conducting the planning process within their communities. In the

case of Twillingate-New World Islands securing funding to retain an economic development

officer with the required expertise to work with the organization‟s active volunteers to

implement economic initiatives is among their highest priorities. Although, this point was not

explicitly stated in other regions/communities, the need for well-trained leaders is of equal

relevance in these areas. Representatives in Lewisporte, for example, made a specific note

that they were lacking an inventory of peoples‟ skills.

Although, financial resources and human resources (including technical capacity) are highly

interdependent factors, many representatives from these two areas claim that failure to

implement is not from a lack of willingness to participate on the part of those involved at the

local level. Representatives from Twillingate-New World Islands address the same issue,

emphasizing that while their primary concern is funding for developing technical expertise in


economic development, with this support viable economies can be sustained through the

efforts of local residents.

Despite this volunteer spirit and commitment, all of the regions/communities stated that a

lack of human resources was a significant impediment to planning and implementation.

Respondents from each planning area suggested that it is often the case that the same people,

or groups, are actively volunteering on numerous different tasks, and thus, these individuals

are experiencing „volunteer burn out‟. This further threatens the social capacity that exists in

a given area. Identifying leaders to take on project initiation is a challenge in a few of the

regions examined, but this is an especially prevalent issue in Gander Bay.

Another fundamental barrier to planning and development was community members‟ and

volunteers‟ interest in and attitudes towards planning. For instance, in Twillingate-New

World Islands, TITA and New-Wes-Valley, some representatives suggest that there was a

lack of consistent interest in planning efforts, which creates a situation where individual

groups are involved that only want to pursue certain projects, and, in some cases, lose sight

of their respective region‟s overall vision. In Gander Bay representatives agreed that the

biggest barrier to planning is the fact that community members are not taking responsibility

for the recommended initiatives. It was suggested that there is a sense of complacency among

the residents who are happy with their current lifestyles, and yet there are incidences of

residents complaining that nothing is being done. This is a major threat to the resiliency of

the communities within Gander Bay, and may be symptomatic of the low levels of education

and entrepreneurial abilities in this region.29

Finally, representatives from Lewisporte stated that while plans provide an important guide,

conformance to and rigid reliance on plans can also be a problem. One individual from the

region stated that if a project was not written directly in the plan, then it would not get done.

As previously suggested, this overly strict adherence to the planning document can cause

regions to miss out on opportunities, and reduce the region‟s capacity to make adaptive

decisions. At the same time, respondents from Fogo Island-Change Islands and New-Wes-

Valley stated there was a need for more focus and initiative prioritization in their

development efforts. From a funding agency‟s point of view, in at least two cases there were

too many discordant local agencies/ organizations in the region that were not communicating

enough with one another. As a consequence, this created a lack of project focus within the

region and the need for a coordinated approach facilitated by a planning process. Overall,

these results suggest that the planning process needs to be both focussed and flexible in order

to achieve successful implementation as well as supporting creative and adaptive decision

making. Additionally, collaboration among community members and local organizations is

an essential part of the planning process.

Best Practices and Success Factors

There are various factors that have contributed to planning achievements in Gander-New-

Wes-Valley. Some plans have focused on a specific development area, such as Lewisporte

with their marina and port development focus. Others, such as the Twillingate-New World

29

M.M. Colussi. Community Resilience Manual: A resource for rural recovery and renewal. (Port Alberni,

B.C.: CCE Publications, 2000), 11.


Island plan, encompassed a broader set of goals that included tourism, infrastructure and

community development. Differing strategies in this respect have not necessarily meant that

one is more effective than others. The key point is that specific goals that communities and

regions wish to see pursued have been established along with proposed pathways for

reaching those goals.

One important success factor noted by representatives of the case study communities and

regions is having an appreciation for existing community strengths. This appreciation was

enhanced through the planning process with an overall increase in the knowledge base about

what people in communities and regions see as valued components of their areas. Tourism

potential, for example, was seen to be a key component of future community growth for

Tilting, Fogo Island-Change Islands and TITA.

Another success factor is having secured funds for the planning process as this can help in

completion of the plan documentation but also in transitioning into implementation where

funds are made available for this purpose. Lewisporte, for example, had a secured base of

funds provided by the municipality, which was a definite factor in their successes to date and

in securing additional outside resources. Reliable funds help stakeholders complete initiatives

to help better their towns and places of residence. Fogo Island and Change Islands also have

a financial resource that no other plan has: a third party financial contributor outside levels of

government. The Shorefast Foundation has enabled the planning process to occur and

initiatives to be implemented. Without the Foundation the Fogo and Change Islands planning

process would have had a less solid financial footing, delayed project start times and/or fewer

examples of initiative implementation.

As discussed above, being flexible and adaptive is key for communities and regions to

complete initiatives. This allows challenges to be averted by changing, when necessary, to an

approach that is better able to deal with new and/or unanticipated barriers or circumstances.

In some planning regions, for example, there have been delays in the progress of certain

priority projects, such as the lighthouse refurbishment on Twillingate Islands. While not

giving up on this high priority initiative, TITA representatives made use of the time provided

while funding was not available for this large project to work on other initiatives. Diverting

resources to other projects that may be considered a lower priority while waiting for funding

to be available allowed the group to make progress in other areas of their tourism plan.

Coming to consensus on what constitutes a priority is also an important success factor in the

planning process. When all stakeholders come to agreement on what is important to work

towards completing then there is a greater chance of that desired outcome being achieved.

When planning goes ahead without the consensus of all stakeholders of areas to focus on and

agreed upon goals then conflicts and barriers can arise, causing stalled projects and decreased

communication between stakeholders.

The creation of sub-committees that take on specific initiatives and report back to the

economic development committee has been beneficial in Lewisporte. The division of tasks

and project responsibilities through the use of a committee structure can help organize the

implementation process so that more focus is directed at each priority initiative by different

people. It is common in rural community planning that the same individuals are on multiple

committees because human resources and volunteers are scarce. These individuals can serve

as an important communication link between committees but committee structures should


also be seen as opportunities to involve a diverse range of individuals and interests. The sub-

committee structure allows for a focus on a narrower spectrum of goals by the sub-

committees and therefore should result in a greater chance of these goals and associated

objectives and initiatives getting attention than if the same group were charged with

addressing a wider array of goals within the overall plan.

Related to the above, organization and delegation of planning tasks seems to have been a

general success factor. Communities have benefited from having a structured process to work

on and keep those involved in implementing initiatives on track. The community plans

themselves act as a guide to go back to and help build upon designated initiatives. The

delegation of specific tasks to persons or groups frees up human and financial resources to be

used in completing another initiative. It is important to put valuable human resources where

they can be maximized. People with certain skills and expertise may be better suited for

working on implementing initiatives related to their skills and background. For example, a

tradesperson volunteer with expertise in construction and electrical engineering would be

well suited for initiatives that involve infrastructure project initiatives. It is best to delegate

appropriately and to create opportunities for people to enjoy being part of the process of

implementing initiatives by allowing volunteers to do what they do best (or to practice new

or developing skills and interests where they prefer). The tradesperson mentioned may wish

to work in her/his skill area rather than doing clerical work. If so, such a position would best

be suited for this person rather than a desk job.

Reaching success requires determined stakeholders and volunteers who are dedicated to

enhance their communities and regions. Development of the skills of these volunteers can

help in achieving goals and initiatives. Any actions that can be made to enhance these skills,

such as time management and conflict resolution, is likely to benefit not only the individuals

involved but also their communities and regions as they help bridge the gap between

planning and project implementation.

During the planning process tourism has garnered a new appreciation in the Twillingate area.

Tourism was seen as an important aspect of their community plan, but became more so as the

planning process unfolded. There are more people focused on common goals, in this case

tourism development, in Twillingate than before the planning process began. Creating a new

sense of appreciation for community development assets helps to maintain focus on key

community sectors like tourism and land development. Tilting, Fogo Island-Change Islands,

TITA and New-Wes-Valley all benefit from tourism being promoted and developed, as

tourism was a key part of these community and regional plans.

Finally, the New-Wes-Valley plan is one example which encompassed a regional approach,

working with communities within their amalgamated municipality on a joint planning

approach but also beginning to reach out to neighbouring communities to explore common

interests. This type of plan incorporated the needs and wants of a number of communities

acting as a whole. Unification in rural areas under a regional plan provides emphasis on what

is most important to a greater number of people compared to a plan that represents a single

community. Governments tend to give attention to areas with higher numbers of residents as

a general practice. Making an area inclusive of a greater geographic area with an increased

population and common goals can better the chances of citizens in an area to be noticed and

heard. It makes sense in planning for rural regions to take a regional approach to increase the


level of government involvement and support, take advantage of a wider set of available

community assets and resources and to avoid unproductive local competition.

Project discussions, Gander, October 13, 2009


Recommendations

Recommendations for Communities and Regions

This section will outline some recommendations for leaders and volunteers in communities

and regions to consider for future processes. When interviews were conducted in fall 2009,

representatives had the opportunity to express their own recommendations for the overall

planning process. When all of the respondent‟s recommendations were compared there were

a lot of similarities between regions, although some regions had their own individual

recommendations. These recommendations are considered below along with those of the

authors.

Generate Interest and Involvement

One of the recommendations that representatives from every region collectively agreed upon

is the need to try to get more people involved in the planning process. This recommendation,

applicable for both community leaders and planning practitioners, would include trying to get

more volunteer engagement in the process by creating an environment that encourages

people to get involved. Make it widely known that the process is a priority for the community

and the many different ways that people can contribute, be inclusive of all who express an

interest in participating, and express appreciation for those who do contribute, for example.

Another recommendation is to get more people who have strong ties to their region involved

in the planning process. If someone has a strong personal connection to the region in which

they are conducting the planning process, they are more likely to stick with it from beginning

to end and monitor the plan after it is written to ensure that implementation is occurring, or

that the projects are still representative of the community‟s goals and values. It is equally

important to get people involved who have the skills necessary to successfully follow

through with the planning process. Unless someone has the skills to complete an aspect of the

process they have been assigned responsibility for, it might not get done. Finally, leaders

(individuals and organizations) responsible for implementation of each aspect of plan should

be clearly identified as part of action planning. This creates an opportunity to involve a range

of people and organizations in communities and regions and creates accountability for

implementation.

Focus, Persistence and Adaptability

The concepts of focus and persistence came up as important issues in the planning process.

Regions need to focus on what they want to get done, and what initiatives they said they were

going do and keep moving forward with those. As a general rule the region should not try

and start any new initiatives until they have the ones they wanted to complete done first and

should push to get these done. Those involved must recognize that this will take persistence

and commitment, particularly for longer-term projects. Having said this, it is important for a

region to monitor and move on good opportunities that arise, provided they satisfy the

community/ region‟s current goals and overall vision and, with some initial analysis, are

deemed equally or more important than initiatives currently underway. Over-conformance to


what is written in the plan can result in a planning process that is not adaptive to changing

circumstances, which inevitably occur.

Monitor, Evaluate, Celebrate and Report on Progress

While most planning processes reported some form of monitoring and evaluation is

underway, in several cases this step takes place within Town Council or committee meetings.

Thus, the volunteers and public may not be aware of how the plan is progressing. Another

recommendation is to have continuous workshops or meetings to assess how far

implementation has occurred and to work out solutions to new or ongoing challenges that the

region is facing. These workshops provide a way of “reporting back” on progress, celebrating

achievements and acknowledging those that have contributed. Newsletters, websites and

local media can also be used for these purposes.

Seek Self-Reliance in the Planning and Implementation Process

Another recommendation that was mentioned by respondents was that each individual region

should find ways to generate financial resources outside of those given by governmental

programs. One representative pointed out that municipalities receive only 8% of total tax

revenues in Canada30

and in rural Newfoundland and Labrador have seen declining, ageing

populations, making it difficult for municipalities to contribute financially given their limited

tax base and growing responsibilities. Yet respondents realized that senior governments,

while critical, will not give them all of the funding that they require, so regions need to be

responsible for generating some of their own financial resources to complete implementation.

Potential sources include municipal contributions, community foundations, local businesses

and fundraising efforts. In-kind or non-cash contributions are also important and should be

acknowledged. Each region should also be responsible for providing some of their own

human resources to assist in developing and implementing the plan. This will help

community/region‟s overall resiliency because it will compel them to be less dependent on

external resources, thereby enabling them to be more self-sustaining through creative and

innovative local participation and ownership.

Foster Community and Regional Pride

Another important consideration for communities and regions is to provide more

opportunities for community members and residents to express regional pride. Community

and regional based events, such as music and agricultural festivals, craft fairs and farmers

markets provide an important opportunity for residents to get together and to celebrate the

strengths of their communities and regions. They also provide an avenue for sharing

information on plan progress, seeking volunteers, raising funds or other contributions and can

create another avenue for community-based planning dialogues. These types of events also

help promote solidarity and can help foster a sense of optimism about the future of their

region, which will in turn, enhance their resiliency.31

30 Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Building Prosperity from the Ground Up: Restoring Municipal Fiscal

Balance (Ottawa: FCM, 2006). 31

M.M. Colussi. Community Resilience Manual: A resource for rural recovery and renewal. (Port Alberni,

B.C.: CCE Publications, 2000), 11.


Enhance Regional and Inter-Municipal Cooperation

Cooperation and patience are suggested by the representatives as key in the planning process.

This seems to be a very obvious recommendation, but there are some regions which struggle

with this. Representatives from all seven regions stressed the importance of communication

and collaboration among neighbouring communities in socio-economic planning. Positive

feedback from the October 2009 workshop in Gander indicates that regional planning groups

should also try to communicate and seek opportunities for networking with each other in

adjacent regions. This could allow them to see how they are progressing and allow them to

assist each other when facing problems that affect the entire Gander-New-Wes-Valley

region.

Tilting is the only single community involved in the planning processes reviewed. One

recommendation for Tilting is to try and make connections to outside communities to assist

with their planning, and now implementation, process. This may be occurring through the

broader Fogo Island-Change Islands process but if it is not there are opportunities to do so.

All of the other planning processes examined are multi-community (and therefore considered

regional), or have at least some multi-community focus. It is recommended that these regions

continue to pursue a more regional approach. The individual communities within these

regions should continue to pursue more cooperative approaches to regionalization. The

communities need to work together and realize where their ideas may be similar and that they

are often trying to achieve similar goals in the face of common challenges. It is

recommended that a joint council (such as the new Bonavista North Joint Council in New-

Wes-Valley area) or similar body should be formed, where such a structure does not already

exist, to deal with issues that have a regional focus. This structure should include

participation from all local governments in the region. This would allow more face-to-face

contact amongst municipal leaders and could provide a structure for coordinating and

monitoring the implementation stage of the planning process.

A joint council (or similar structure) would allow more people to be involved in the planning

process, provided community organizations and citizens are also encouraged to participate

along with their municipal governments. The more people that are interested and involved in

the process, the more successful implementation will be. However, a coordinating body such

as a joint council is required. A joint council might also make the idea of regional services

and even the possibility of regional government or, where appropriate, amalgamation, more

appealing and create greater consideration among communities of the region‟s overall needs.

An effective joint council-type structure will bring representatives from every community

into one group to discuss the whole region‟s problems and issues, to work with one another

to solve these issues and over time to learn how to better cooperate and work with one

another. Where organizations such as a regional or joint council already exist participating

communities should examine the extent to which this organization is fulfilling these roles and

ways in which these organizations can provide leadership and support to socio-economic

planning and implementation in their regions. Information about other joint councils across

the province and support for establishing such a structure is available from Municipalities

Newfoundland and Labrador‟s Community Cooperation Office.


Recommendations for Provincial and Federal Governments

Provide Support to Communities Demonstrating Commitment to Implementation

Provincial and federal governments could provide additional incentives to those community

development planning processes that display a strong interest in development for the

betterment of the community itself, rather than those areas that require monetary enticement

to create a community plan. This may be difficult to assess, but in the future, when

communities approach government about assistance with planning, government should be

especially encouraging of those communities that demonstrate a whole-hearted approach to

wanting to help their area and to pursue implementation, as opposed to those communities

that are planning out of obligation and/or without a clear direction as to how they might

pursue implementation. Interview respondents questioned, for example, whether recent

efforts to create Integrated Community Sustainability Plans (ICSPs) as a requirement for gas

tax funding will result in implementation. It is crucial that policy and programs be aimed at

helping encourage, support and fund planning and implementation for regions and

communities that have considered an approach for how to implement the initiatives promoted

in the plan even at the early stages of the planning process.

Facilitate Improved Communication between Communities & Senior Governments

It would be an added benefit for all communities and regions to have increased

communication between themselves and the provincial and federal governments.

Communication can help reduce misunderstandings and clear roadblocks in the planning

process. There should be communication around defining what is expected from all

stakeholders involved in developing and implementing a plan to identify who is responsible

for the implementation of each initiative and for the plan overall. One example of a

communication mechanism provided is regular meetings between local representatives and

regional staff of relevant government departments to monitor implementation progress.

Assign an Agency Responsibility for Support of Local Level Planning

It is essential that a regionally-minded government agency (or some other government-

mandated regional organization) is identified and allocated authority, responsibility and

adequate resources to support and encourage strategic planning that is based on local (i.e.

community and multi-community clusters) needs and values, and that draws from the social,

economic, cultural and environmental strengths that exist within these areas. Existing

agencies provide some support for specific aspects of planning, such as REDBs, ACOA and

INTRD in economic development, but support for a more integrated and holistic approach to

planning at the local level is lacking. Further discussion and analysis of options for filling

this support gap are needed and beyond the scope of this report. Provincial agencies with a

holistic mandate but limited local planning support at present include the Rural Secretariat,

which has a regional presence, and Municipal Affairs, which has small staff based in St.

John‟s that provides support for the development of ICSPs. Other options for filling the

current planning support gap include an expanded role for REDBs (beyond economic

development), the establishment of regional planning authorities or regional governments

with planning responsibilities. Such an agency could outline guidelines for the development


of effective community planning processes, and encourage communities to strive towards

such an approach. Perhaps some community leadership is not aware of the benefits of

strategizing effective goals and how to work towards achieving them. Support materials

could be made available to identify what tasks are involved in planning and implementation

and the skills and resources required. A regional planning support agency could also help

communities move from the planning to implementation by monitoring each planning

process, providing support and facilitation where needed and requested, and acting as a

liaison to listen to concerns that are preventing plans from moving to implementation and to

link regional planning groups with relevant government departments and other resources.

Foster and Support Diversity and Inclusiveness

Federal and provincial agencies involved in local planning could also set up programs that

are directed towards promoting inclusivity and diversity in socio-economic planning. This

would entail developing programs that make planning and development more accessible to

women, youth and Aboriginal people within Gander-New-Wes-Valley. For instance, a

literature review/case study project conducted by a student researcher in Geography 3350,

suggests that women “are dominant members in rural communities as volunteers.

[Additionally] women are at the centre of fundraising initiatives in churches, for concerts,

and working on committees.32

This analysis implies that there should be support services and

programs that further enable women to operate these grassroots organizations. Additionally,

programs that facilitate collaboration between Aboriginal groups, such as the Gander Bay

Mi'kmaq Band, and non-Aboriginal organizations could help foster cross-cultural

partnerships as well as contribute to the inclusivity and success of development projects.

Provide Financial Support for Implementation

Supporting provincial and federal agencies should consider establishing a separate

implementation fund, perhaps set up through several government departments, that what

would provide monetary means for implementation of specific initiatives identified in

community planning processes that include initiative prioritization. Evidence of community

buy-in and participation and carefully considered initiative prioritization can be used to

assess fair distribution of funds to a community or region that requires funding to help with

implementation. The population and service requirements in a community or region could

also help determine the level of funding that a specific initiative would receive to help

provide a level of funding equity between communities and regions. Funding support for

implementation coordinators was also recommended by several respondents. Such support

could be provided for one to two year transition period. Responsibility for longer term

initiatives should be assigned to existing organizations and human resources with assistance

available from the coordinator only in the initial stages.

32

Lynn Guppy. Women in Planning: Case Studies of Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-economic Strategic

Plan and Town of Tilting Economic Development Plan. Geography 3350 Term Report (Unpublished, 2009), 6.


Increase Funding Support for Leadership Training

Provincial and federal governments should consider providing additional funding for

leadership training as well as general adult education services for individuals in rural

Newfoundland and Labrador. Some regions and communities lack the leadership personnel

who are willing to take on the coordination of implementing planning initiatives. There are a

number of incidences across Gander-New-Wes-Valley where people want to help lead in

their communities, but they are not sure how or if they could contribute to the

implementation stage of their community plans or if they have the skills to do so. Leadership

training seminars coupled with encouragement from government in call to action newsletters

or media advertisements directed at promoting community leadership in regions would be

helpful in this process. Additionally, government agencies could offer advice to community

volunteers and staff on how to set up effective committee structures and planning processes.

If expertise is needed in these areas, the provincial government could offer suggestions on

how to address the problems at hand. These services are already being provided in the region

but the results of this research suggest that such support should be “scaled-up”. Assistance

can also be provided with managing consultants and ensuring that community planning

processes, often paid for with government funds, include all of the necessary steps and

elements discussed above including initiative prioritization, budget estimates, timelines,

assigned responsibilities and a process for monitoring and review of implementation

progress. This recommendation could be pursued independently, through expansion of the

existing Community Capacity Building program for example, or be implemented in

conjunction with the recommendation that a regional planning support agency be designated.

Memorial University, through the Harris Centre, could also provide expanded educational

support through sessions such as the “Creating a Socio-Economic Plan for Fogo Island:

Where do we Start?” workshop help on Fogo Island, the proposed Certificate in Regional

Policy and Development and creative use of video conferencing and online learning

technology.

Seek Opportunities for Leadership at All Levels

Finally, the provincial and federal governments could take charge of implementation of

initiatives if no other stakeholder has offered to do so and where recommended initiatives fall

within the mandate of provincial or federal agencies (health, education or labour market

development, for example). Leadership in the implementation process should be a role of

government is willing to consider in specific cases where it is desired by the community or

region for this to occur and there is an agreed upon priority. If there is no willingness among

community citizens to take a leadership stake in the implementation of initiatives government

should consider taking the lead, particularly if it is in the interest of the broader region that

planning initiatives be implemented.


Recommendations for Practitioners

Build Action Planning into Planning Documents

There are a few key recommendations for practitioners and planning consultants that were

brought up by community and regional representatives, as well as those that arose through

the course of this analysis. First, it is very evident that community and regional plans need to

have clear action/implementation plans built into their planning process and document(s). A

representative from Lewisporte suggested that specific guidelines for project implementation

are key components in a plan‟s overall success. It should be written in a consultant/planner‟s

terms of reference to include both initiative prioritization and an implementation plan into the

planning documents that they create. A requirement for clear action plans also reduces the

risks associated with lack of clarity and ambiguity in the language used in planning reports.

For instance, as discussed in section 1.6.3, goals are very different from initiatives; goals are

those general outcomes that a community/region wishes to see, while initiatives are specific

projects that work to contribute to these overarching goals. This may appear to be an obvious

distinction, but there are incidences amongst the plans where these concepts were confused,

which decreases the effectiveness of the planning document because identifying initiatives

that are more like general goals does not provide communities with sufficiently specific

direction to move forward and monitor their progress.

Conduct Human Resources Assessment Early in the Planning Process

Another recommendation for planning practitioners is that they complete a human resources

analysis of a region prior to or as part of the process of creating a socio-economic plan.

Again, this could be a required component of the planning process for funding support.

Labour market statistics can help determine the demographics and education levels that exist

within an area, but more detailed human resources assessment can identify skills not

indicated by education levels as well as willingness to participate in planning and various

types of community development activities, for example. This assessment would allow for

more successful initiative identification, based on what is feasible to do in the area given

available human resources. In Gander Bay, for example, a human resource survey indicated

that only 55% of residents have basic computer skills such as the ability to search for

information on the Internet or send an email33. Initiatives such as online education would

first require basic computer training to make these opportunities available to a wide range of

community members.

Recognize Local Residents’ Knowledge and Expertise

Finally, greater attention needs to be paid to locally derived knowledge and experience when

constructing a planning document. While outside assistance may be required, hiring only

external consultants is not necessarily the best route for creating a successful „living‟

document. There are cases where these external, „expert‟ voices come out too strongly, which

can cause community members to feel that the plan is not their own. Representatives from

33

William Hardiman. Labour Market Partnership Gander Bay Final Report. (Gander, NL: Kittiwake Economic

Development Corporation, 2008).


one region in this study emphasized this point and suggested that, where possible, hiring a

local resident who is capable of writing a plan should take precedence because of the benefits

of locally derived knowledge and a vested interest in the planning process. Where outside

ideas and expertise is needed, consideration should be given to hiring a local planning

assistant to work with the outside consultant, as in the Fogo Island-Change Islands and

Tilting cases. These assistants should be given a significant role in the process and the

consultant should be willing and able to take on a mentoring role to build local capacity

while providing local knowledge and perspective. This approach may require training in

mentorship for planning consultants within the province.

Planning in action, Twillingate-New World Islands


Conclusion

“Don't let this report sit on the shelf and gather dust. Let's get on with the job at

hand.”

Fogo Island-Change Islands community consultation survey34

The project our class has participated in has brought us a clearer understanding of how

community development works and what it takes for regions and communities to move a

plan from being just a plan or a “document on a shelf” into the implementation stage. The

research students and our professor have been given a unique opportunity to become more

aware of the community development process in Newfoundland and Labrador and how

communities and governments work together to accomplish goals that benefit the

communities and regions and the province by creating projects and developing various

sectors of the local economy and social well-being in Gander-New-Wes-Valley.

The planning to implementation process has been the key focus of this project. It is at the

point in time, from when a plan is complete to the time implementation occurs on specific

initiatives, that planning needs the most attention from communities and from government –

although it seems that in the past more attention has been paid to creating the plan itself. It is

at the point of implementation that most problems seem to occur and where significant

roadblocks exist from our experience in analyzing the seven planning processes reviewed in

Gander-New-Wes-Valley. There is a need for increased communication and delegation in

many aspects during this planning to implementation time period. Resources, both financial

and human, need to be applied to the road blocks hindering success that occur at this stage.

The planning process generally was aimed at creating employment and a better quality of life

for people in the Gander-New-Wes-Valley region. People want to see more development and

prosperity in their regions and communities with the help of planning. In three of the regions

planning initiatives have been completed and in all cases implementation efforts are

underway. Successes have occurred with the increase in communication and cooperation

between communities, regions and levels of government. It should be noted that sometimes

the opinions of people conflict with others and this can prevent planning progress from

moving forward. Another roadblock was that the plans and the implementation of planning

initiatives lacked local ownership in some cases. This prevented full approval of the plan in a

community or region and planning initiatives from being implemented. Finally, it is only

when strategic planning is combined with action, facilitated by implementation planning that

progress on implementation can be expected.

The recommendations provided are intended to minimize these challenges that currently are

seen as roadblocks in the planning process, primarily in the implementation stages. Through

these recommendations and the preceding analysis, we hope that this report will contribute

meaningfully in some small way to furthering the important efforts of Gander-New-Wes-

Valley residents to sustain their communities for current and future generations.

34

D.W. Knight Associates. Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-Economic Strategic Plan. (Kittiwake Economic

Development Corporation, 2008), 7.


Appendices

Appendix A: Regional and Community Actors

ACOA- Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency

“The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency works to create opportunities for economic

growth in Atlantic Canada by helping businesses become more competitive, innovative and

productive, by working with diverse communities to develop and diversify local economies,

and by championing the strengths of Atlantic Canada”.35

EDC- Economic Development Consultant or EDO- Economic Development Officer

The Economic Development Officer or Consultant is one who provides advice and support to

regional committees in strategic planning, project analysis and acts a government liason.

They promote economic growth and work with stakeholders to move forward with strategic

development opportunities. An EDO also provides support for implementation of strategic

development plans.

FIDA- Fogo Island Development Association

An RDA that is present on Fogo Island (see RDA below).

IBP- Ireland Business Partnership

IBP was developed in 1997 between the private sector and the Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador. They promote trade and partnership opportunities between Newfoundland and

Ireland. They are located within the Department if Innovation, Trade and Rural

Development. They are led by an advisory committee which is volunteer-based and are

responsible for providing directions and policy advice to the IBP.36

ICSP – Integrated Community Sustainability Plans

The ICSP is designed to be a comprehensive planning document for municipalities that

includes public participation in the process and considers the five pillars of environment,

economic, social, cultural, and governance sustainability.

INP- Ireland Newfoundland Partnership

INP manages an agreement between both the Government of Newfoundland and Ireland to

recognize historical links and new areas of collaboration. INP‟s are divided into three areas:

Business and Innovation, Education and Research and Arts, Culture and Heritage. It is

located within the Department of Taoiseach which is a Department under the Ireland

Government. They are also led by an advisory committee.37

35

http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/English/WhoWeAre/OurRole/Pages/Home.aspx 36

http://www.ibp.nl.ca/about.html 37

http://www.inp.ie/


INTRD- Innovation, Trade and Rural Development

The Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development started in 2004 and supports

regional and economic development. They help to create a competitive economic

environment that promotes business growth and employment opportunities. The Department

pays particular attention to rural areas and gives financial support to small enterprises to help

stimulate economic and employment development within the province.38

JCP- Job Creation Partnership

This is a program funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada which

supports projects and creates employment for those who are looking to enter the work force.

KEDC- Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation

KEDC is a major resource in the Gander-New-Wes-Valley region that helps develop and

coordinate a strategic economic plan for the zone. KEDC develops partnerships with

municipalities and other groups in planning and implementation. They provide support to

stakeholders and coordinate connection to all three levels of government: federal, provincial

and municipal.39

LSD- Local Service District

Present throughout the province of NL, they are a level of the rural municipal government

that is responsible for basic municipal services such as garbage removal. They are present in

areas that are not recognized as a city or town and require a committee to provide these basic

services.

RDA- Rural Development Association

RDAs are community and regional based organizations that were established in communities

in Newfoundland and Labrador beginning in the 1960s. Their role was to organize and help

implement rural-based programs, projects and services. In the mid 1990s, regional economic

development boards were established in the province and RDAs lost their core funding. Since

then, the number of RDAs has been dramatically reduced, but there are some that are still

very active, including several in the Gander-New-Wes-Valley region.40

TITA – Twillingate Islands Tourism Association

TITA is a non-profit organization focused on the development of the Twillingate tourism

industry through its membership.

38

http://www.intrd.gov.nl.ca/intrd/department/index.html 39

http://www.kittiwake.nf.ca/about/functions.htm 40

Ekaterina Lysenko et al. Regional Governance in Newfoundland and Labrador: Report on Rural

Development Associations (Draft for Review) (Unpublished, 2009), 3-5.


Appendix B: Implementation Tables

Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-Economic Plan

Recommended Strategies

and/or Initiatives State of Implementation Notes

Natural Resources

- Establish centre of sustainable fisheries

No evidence of implementation provided

- Forum on fisheries research and ocean stewardship

Ongoing

- Investigate MPA No evidence of implementation provided

- Meet with industry Ongoing Fisheries round table session was held in 2009 (organized by

Shorefast Foundation)

- Strive to improve communication

Ongoing

- Develop a fisheries

financing program

No evidence of

implementation provided

- Investigate research facility for farming sea cucumbers

etc.

Early stages Private sector involvement (e.g. Fogo Island Coop)

- Establish experimental hand line fishery

Early stages

- Support efforts to maximize harvesting and processing

opportunities

Early stages

- Investigate opportunities for CI plant upgrades

Early stages Quotes on funding upgrades

Other Enterprises

- Pursue small fruit sector* Ongoing Part of the agricultural cooperative

- Pursue revival of root crop growing *

Ongoing Part of the agricultural cooperative

- Encourage birch sap

business plan

No evidence of


- Encourage business plan for mink farming


- Encourage business plan for fox farming



Recommended Strategies and/or Initiatives

State of Implementation Notes

- Investigate wind power No evidence of implementation occurring

Nalcor will not pay for energy put into the grid

Tourism and Heritage

- Encourage preservation of cultural landscape and built

heritage

Early stages/ongoing** Connected to Shorefast efforts with preservation and/ or

restoration of community structures

- Support museums to improve artefact handling and interpretation

No evidence of implementation occurring

- Encourage development of cultural knowledge base, revival of traditional skills

Ongoing Artisan guild

- Pursue archaeological excavations

Ongoing Towns of Fogo and Tilting

- Hold tourism forum Ongoing Mini-forums

- Engage partners to develop distinct experiences

Early stages/ongoing

- Craft development * Early stages/ongoing Artisan guild wood working and

quilting

- Encourage festivals and events that celebrate

heritage

Ongoing Creation of performance/theatre

- Develop adventure cruise experience

Early stages Private enterprise

- Promote local food and regional cuisine *

Early stages Promoting local food businesses, connected to the “our place”

promotional focus

- Establish food/craft market* Ongoing Farmers’ market is operational and in the process of accepting

craft vendors

- Pursue hiking development No evidence of implementation provided

- Develop accommodation opportunities*

Ongoing Have identified need, private enterprises developing services

- Ensure quality services such as road signage, ATM,

washrooms

Early stages Only in one community

- Develop tourism marketing strategy


Business Development and Support




- Organize a start-up meeting with business leaders


- Pursue high speed internet Near completion 2 communities still without

- Encourage use of internet by entrepreneurs and

researchers


- Secure improvements to ferry & road system

Ongoing

- Lobby for improved business approval and

permitting process


- Seek support through FIDA and ACE MUN


- Support development of community-based enterprise *

Early stages

- Develop small business fund Completed Shorefast

Social Development

- Hold social development

consultation session

No evidence of


- Lobby for increased volunteer org support


- Program to inform and involve youth


- Seek input on special social needs and priorities *

Early stages Community Health, Community Advisory Committee completed needs assessment

- Develop a recreation plan No evidence of implementation provided

- Advocate for infrastructure for seniors *

Early stages Community Health, Community Advisory Committee

Strategic Plan M&E

- Develop M&E process Ongoing There was a committee put in

place and there has been a workshop

- Recommend value of

current land use plans and regulations

Early stages Side tracked by the ICSP but

presentation made to Regional Council

- Establish an internet-related

communication forum

No evidence of


- Continue community capacity building

Ongoing




49 initiatives 1 completed; 14 Early stages; 14 Ongoing; 19 No

implementation

*Progress has been made on initiative(s) through actions outside of the planning process itself

** Initiatives where there were mixed responses indicating that these initiatives were in their early

stages and/or ongoing were counted as being in their early stages in the totals above.


Gander Bay Labour Market Study



Public library Early stages Report refers to efforts to pursue

Outdoor recreational facilities No evidence of implementation provided

Boys and Girls Club No evidence of implementation provided

Community development organization


Day care services Early stages The Family Resource Center is actively seeking funding for day

care services

Recreation Coordinator No evidence of implementation provided

Tungsten mining No evidence of implementation provided

Re-development of Victoria Cove wharf


Aquaculture No evidence of implementation provided

Camping on Gander River Early Stages

GBIBC and the Glenwood Mi'kmaq First Nations are

working on a proposal to provide campgrounds on the

Gander River

Blueberry farming No evidence of implementation provided

Catering to bus tours No evidence of implementation provided

Door assembly plant No evidence of implementation provided

Gander Bay Day No evidence of implementation provided

Call Centre No evidence of implementation provided

15 initiatives 3 Early Stages; 12 No implementation


Lewisporte Port Plan



Marina development Ongoing

NDB cruising marketing Early stages Cruising guide

Increased dockside maintenance

Early stages Additional docks and electrical dock sites at marina

Small yacht cruises - homeport Early stages Homeport Concept is well understood in the area

Labrador ferry service extension Ongoing

Seismic vessel crew change No evidence of implementation provided

Lower Churchill Project No evidence of implementation

provided

Informed on procurement oil

industry representative

Expansion of Coast Guard activities


Mackenzie Delta Gas project Early stages Informed on procurement oil industry representative

Nunatsiavut freight service No evidence of implementation provided

Mining transhipment Early stages Exploring opportunity

Expedition cruise ship visits No evidence of implementation provided

International seafood shipment Early stages Exploring opportunity

Western Labrador mining No evidence of implementation provided

14 initiatives 5 Early Stages; 2 Ongoing; 7 No implementation


Labour Market Study: Town of New-Wes-Valley



Long-term community planning Ongoing ICSP completion March 2010

Engaging general public/ government

Ongoing Plan suggests new more open approach is underway, although

further steps can be taken

Regional cooperation Ongoing Participating in Joint Council and regional partnership process

Economic diversification

- Identify growth areas and

pursue related training

Growth areas identified in study but no evidence of

further implementation

- Tourism training and regional familiarization


- Dialogue re. tourism-specific employment subsidies


- Entrepreneurial training No evidence of implementation provided

- Regional support services for

entrepreneurs

No evidence of


- Training of migrant workers for local opportunities


Explore new opportunities in fisheries and ensure related

skills and training

Early stages/exploring

10 initiatives 1 Early stages; 3 Ongoing; 6 No implementation


Tilting Economic Development Plan



Expand and improve tourism

- Interpretation Centre Early stages Concept Plan complete

- Centre for NL Irish Studies

Early stages Artists and residence program considered first step in this

process

- Improve museum and attraction interpretation

Early stages

- Improve handling, storage of artefacts Ongoing

Robert Mellin has contributed to this cause, e.g. his exhibit in the Rooms Gallery

- Establish suitable restaurant & dining services (including concept for catering coop)

Ongoing

- Develop craft shop No evidence of implementation provided

- Restore fishing premises Completed

- Provide shower , laundry & washrooms

Early stages Only washrooms

- Campground/RV Site Postponed

- Property management rental business for expatriates

Early stages Priorities have been identified to date

- Complete community and hwy signage/Sandy Cove hill site

Midway

Improve External Communication and Marketing

- External marketing (website, promo pkgs and brochures,

media, advertising) – 6 initiatives

Early stages

Some provincial tourism advertising

Physical Land Development

- Landscape/’Townscape’ plan

Early stages Preserving traditional

landscape (e.g. gardens and root cellars)

- Preserve traditional landscape

features Ongoing

- Parking area on Sandy Cove Hill


- Path to Cape Cove No evidence of implementation provided

- Enact permits regs for alterations to land





- Council protection for heritage structures following Parks Canada regs

Nearly completed

Infrastructure

- Complete water and sewer* Nearly completed

- Continue road upgrades No evidence of implementation provided

- Lobby for improved services Ongoing

Social/Economic/HR Devt

- Create business opportunities

in heritage structures Early stages

- Develop furniture mfg No evidence of implementation provided

- Provide HR required for future growth

Early stages Connected to food coop, developed by Debbie Neil

Improve internal communication

- Newsletter No evidence of implementation provided

- Public meeting Ongoing

- TRACS open house Ongoing

- Improve communication within council

Ongoing

- Separation of functions but with liaison and communication

(TRACS vs. council) Ongoing

- Change Heritage Assoc. Name No evidence of implementation provided

- TRACS charitable status No evidence of implementation provided

- Incorporation of town entity No evidence of implementation provided

37 initiatives

9 Early Stages; 1 Midway; 2 Nearly complete; 8 Ongoing; 1 Postponed; 16

No implementation

* Progress has been made on initiative(s) through actions outside of the planning process itself


TITA Master Plan



Product Clusters

- Harbour front/south side Early stages Upgrades to harbour experience and town harbour project

(gazebos)

- North side of the harbour Completed Grace Boehner Wharf, also gazebos installed

Infrastructure

- Lighthouse refurbished Planning and preparation complete. Renovations are in

early stages.

Renovations now moving ahead

- Twillingate Experience Centre Early stages

Worked into lighthouse plan;

NWI visitor centre upgraded ($200,000)

Living History Village Early stages

Similar private sector development in place prior to plan; original group (Fishing Village) now looking

at small boat (punt) building

similar to the Wooden Boat Museum at Winterton, Trinity Bay

(residents would show the way they built punts)

- Craft centre Early stages Revised concept

- Economuseum Early stages Revised concept

Series of guided and self-guided

packages No action

Presence of pre-existing boat tours

Heritage Tourism

- Museum coordination No evidence of implementation provided

- Preservation of inventoried heritage structures


- Identify and interpret six archaeological sites Partially complete - no

further action

2008 report found that most of the recorded sites have been heavily disturbed by European occupation

- Develop an archival network No evidence of implementation provided

Enterprises

- Equipment rentals No evidence of implementation provided

- Outport getaways No evidence of implementation provided

Tourist Services

- Enhance B&Bs Ongoing


- Enhance Restaurants Ongoing Some improvements have been made (part of lighthouse proposal)

Municipal and Business Development

- Look-offs Early stages A couple of gazebos done

- Signage/icons No evidence of implementation provided

- Heritage bylaw No evidence of implementation provided

- Signage bylaw No evidence of implementation

- Beautification Early stages Trails, walkways, gazebos

- Expand murals No evidence of


- Encourage business maintenance


Organizations and HR

- Establish appropriate organizational structure for

coordinated tourism mgmnt and devt

Ongoing

TITA represents the region’s tourism operators but the plan

identifies additional services that could be offered

- Team Twillingate No evidence of implementation provided

- Ongoing training in visitor services

Ongoing

Twillingate Islands as a regional tourism hub

Ongoing

27 initiatives

1 Completed; 8 Early

Stages; 5 Ongoing; 1 mid-way but no further

action; 12 No implementation


Twillingate-New World Island Strategic Plan



Leadership in Pursuing Strong Economic and Social Growth

- Evaluate old and new economic initiatives, catalogue and publish the

findings

Completed

JCP worker has published documents

- Propose a development strategy

Completed Have worked on prioritization with INTRD

- Research government agencies for funding (esp. for a Development Officer)

Ongoing

Encourage Regional Cooperation

- Host a Forum on Regional Co-operation and

interdependence, followed by a strategy to action

Ongoing

Established partnerships with Lewisporte and requested

participation with other groups, e.g. The Shorefast Foundation.

Initial forum held 2007.

- Steering Committee to give direction to Recreation

Director

Ongoing

- Hold regional forum on natural resources


Ensure Participation

- Target town councils, LSDs and other groups to meet

with RDA

Ongoing

Regional forum

- Identify and clarify stakeholders, seek

involvement of stakeholders through: surveys,

questionnaires, forums,

round table discussions, connecting, coordinating

Ongoing

Regional forum

Round tables

- Provide a representative to sit on committees or on the Board of interested groups

Midway Desire better coordination with TITA

- Provide representation on the board for stakeholders

Ongoing

Enhancement of Communities

- Evaluate area for potential for shared services and

infrastructure

Ongoing Recreation is considered shared service between T-NWI and

larger region




- Research companies that will transport workers back to our area


- Survey young couples No evidence of implementation provided

- Research entertainment options

Ongoing Provided broad definition of recreational amenities

- Research skilled trades courses


- Support initiatives by interest groups

Ongoing

- Develop a community promotion strategy with

local tourism groups


- Develop Residents Guide in partnership with Primary

Health

Completed Residents Guide was completed in 2009, though not in

conjunction with Primary Health

- Provide representation on “Communities Supporting

Families” subcommittee of

Primary Health


Economic and Social Development

- evaluate, prioritise and action the recommendations

of the Research Committee

named in Leadership (above)

Ongoing

Leadership spearheaded by individual in the region; focused

on capacity building

- Provide an ongoing

evaluation of all recommendations

Ongoing

- Keep all stakeholders involved and informed

Ongoing Small piece in each issue of the Lewisporte Pilot newspaper

- Meet with resource specialists to assess

economic potential

Early stages

- Review the binder on CCB Completed Numerous workshops

- Develop and promote a Speakers Forum


Progressive and Proactive Board

- Establish a Committee to develop a strategy for a succession plan

Early stages

- Recommend to the Executive the BEST Practices method





- Meet with teachers of Career Development 2201


- Engage in aggressive recruitment activity

Early stages Piece in Lewisporte Pilot

Develop Transparency

- Provide a written and/or oral report at each Board

meeting

Ongoing

- Provide for appropriate internal and external

financial and operational audits

Ongoing

- Conduct an annual general

meeting Ongoing

- Develop an annual work plan

Ongoing

- Recommend, develop and review: ethics, policy,

finances, records

Ongoing

- Review and update the strategic plan

Ongoing KEDC and INTRD involved in regular monitoring sessions

Training and Welfare of Personnel

- Arrange for policies addressing training needs

and welfare issues

Ongoing Training provided to their boards and workers (if not in policy,

definitely in practice)

- Put appropriate committees in place

Completed

- Arrange for yearly updates Completed

- Arrange presentation Ongoing

Communicate RDA mission

- Ensure all minutes are communicated to stakeholders

Ongoing Minutes taken for Board of Directors

- Carry out a monitoring and evaluation process

Ongoing

- Communicate activities to the general public

Ongoing

- Timely releases on developmental highlights

Ongoing

- Arrange for use of media Ongoing

- Develop brochure on RDA No evidence of implementation provided

- Update website Ongoing




- Review cell /broadband coverage

Ongoing Part of Strategic Planning mandate

47 Initiatives 6 Completed; 3 Early Stages; 1 Midway; 27 Ongoing; 10 No

implementation


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